One man is dead and another in hospital after being shot during a home invasion Saturday in St. Charles.
At around 7:37pm Saturday, St. Charles police officers arrived at an active scene at the 100 block of Walnut Drive on the city’s west side, just east of Randolph, having been alerted to shots fired inside an apartment. They immediately came upon a man who had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest area being dragged out of the apartment by a 26-year-old Lindenhurst man.
The wounded man was identified as James Gherardini, 26, also of Lindenhurst. He was treated on-scene by St. Charles Fire Department Fire Fighter/Paramedics and subsequently transported to Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Officers detained all occupants of the residence for questioning in connection with the incident. A short time later, officers learned that another person related to this incident, a 25 year-old-man of St. Charles, had been driven to Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva with a gunshot wound. He remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Investigators learned that the two Lindenhurst men and at least one additional person had entered the apartment through an unlocked sliding glass door. They reportedly zip-tied the hands of several occupants in the apartment and demanded items from them.
Investigators further learned that the wounded 25-year old St. Charles man who had been driven to the hospital had at the time of the incident received an open line call from the cell phone of a resident inside the apartment. This individual then went to the apartment and upon arrival was confronted by the armed offenders, at least one of which fired at him. He then also brandished a firearm and fired toward the offenders. He received a gunshot wound in the abdomen and was subsequently driven to the hospital prior to police arrival.
It is believed that it was during this exchange of gunfire that Gheradini was struck in the chest and fatally wounded.
The Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office has approved the following charges against the surviving Lindenhurst man:
• Attempted 1st Degree Murder
• 2 counts of Home Invasion
• Aggravated Unlawful Restraint
It is believed the additional offender(s) may have fled from the scene prior to police arrival. It is also believed that this was an isolated and targeted attack on the occupants of this apartment and that there is no threat to the general public at this time.
The St. Charles police are continuing to investigate this incident.
